An Innocent Wish
by TheKeybladeForger
Summary: I never expected my day to turn out like this, but then again, who ever does? One after another, amazing things kept happening. I aided Lord Michel without even knowing it and met Prince Edward who invited me the castle as his date! It was like a dream come true until-like all fairy tales-the magic came to an end. Still, could it be that one of the princes I met is in love with me?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Be My Princess or anything from Voltage Inc, this is purely fan-made!

~Prologue: A Fateful Encounter~

_(Someday My Prince Will Come by Tiffany Thornton)_

_Someday my prince will come_

_Someday we'll meet again_

_And away to his castle we'll go_

_To be happy forever I know_

_Someday when spring is here_

_We'll find our love anew_

_And the birds will sing_

_And wedding bells will ring_

_Someday when my dreams come true_

_La la la la la la la_

_Someday my prince will come_

_Someday my prince will come_

_Someday I'll find my love_

_How amazing that moment will be_

_When the prince of my dreams comes to me_

_Somewhere he waved at me_

_Someone I longed to see_

_Though he's far away_

_I'll find him someday_

_Someday when my dreams come true_

_La la la la la la la_

_Oh oh_

_Someday my prince will come_

_Someday my prince will come_

_Someday we'll meet again_

_And away to his castle we'll go (castle I go)_

_To be happy forever I know_

_Someday when spring is here_

_We'll find our love anew_

_And the birds will sing_

_And wedding bells will ring_

_Someday_

_Someday_

_Someday_

_Though he's far away_

_I'll find him someday_

_Someday when my dreams come true_

_La la la la la la la_

_Someday my prince will come (prince will come)_

_La la la la la la la_

_Someday my prince will come (ooo oh)_

_La la la la la la la_

_Someday my prince will come (ooo oh)_

_La la la la la la la_

_(my prince will come)_

_Someday my prince will come_

_Someday my prince will come_

* * *

I never expected my day to turn out like this, but then again, who ever does? My name is Ellira Ravenwood, or Ella for short. I'm currently a college student at Charles University that moved here last spring, when the air was crisp with the smell of clean air and freshly cut grass just like it is now...

Being here is like walking into a fairytale because of the grand castle towering above the town just up the road from here. And seeing it often reminds me of my childhood and my adoration for old castles and cathedrals. Especially their stained glass windows where when light sifts through the painted glass it paints the walls with unbelievable shades of color like a living rainbow. It would be wonderful to be able to visit the inside the castle and see something like that with my own eyes but since it was a place reserved for royalty the closest I would probably ever get would be the inside of my dreams or standing before the gates along with everyone else.

I was daydreaming about this when I looked down saw an elderly man dressed in fancy robes hunched over looking like he was in pain and quickly rushed over to him. "Excuse me, are you alright?"

He looked up at me with a troubled smile and replied softly, "Oh, I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit under the weather today..."

The old man sighed painfully and before I realized what I was doing, I took him by the hand and with by other I began rubbing his back as I said, "I saw a park just over there a ways, would you like to sit down with me there? It might help."

"That's very kind of you but someone should be coming for me shortly," he was smiling despite how much pain he was in when suddenly, his gaze fell from my face down to the necklace I was wearing and his eyes widened slightly.

"Miss, that necklace you are wearing...?"

"This?" I blinked, glancing down at it and smiled, "This necklace is very precious to me. It belonged to my mother. Why? Is there something strange about it?"

Shaking his head dismissively, the elderly man smiled, "No, not at all. Please excuse my rude manners, its just such an unusual piece of jewelry and I often find myself getting distracted from time to time in situations like this."

I smiled back, "That's alright, it is pretty old after all. But even so I always wear it to remind me of something."

"Remind you? Of what?"

"Of where I came from and where I am hoping to go in my life," I replied sweetly, forgetting that I was talking to a complete stranger. But, his gentle expression was so open and kind that I couldn't help myself. And his cool amber eyes were so clear and bright and alive that they drew me in as if he was my own grandfather and not someone I only just met.

Just then, an expensive looking car drove up and a very handsome man with sleek black hair dressed in a professionally tailored suit came strolling up to us and addressed the old man with a mixture of respect and genuine concern as he asked, "My Lord, has something happened?"

Answering for him without thinking, I answered, "He doesn't seem to be feeling well. In fact he was doubled over just before I came over to help so maybe we should call a doctor just in case?"

Deeply concerned by my words, he took the old man by the shoulder and asked him directly, "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yes, I am feeling much better now thanks to the kindness of this fine young woman. Thank you," the elderly man reassured him and then straightened himself up as he accepted the hand that the other man offered him.

Seeing that he was safely in the care of this very capable looking man, I smiled in relief and said, "I'm glad everything is ok now. Well, I better get going so please take care of yourself."

After that, I gave a slight bow before turning to leave when the old man called out, "Please wait a moment..."

Slowly turning back to him, I saw him whispering something in the other man's ear before his attention turned back to me and he asked me, "Pardon me, but what is your name my dear?"

I cocked my head slightly, "My name?"

"Yes, I would very much like to know the name of a person who went out of their way to make sure I was alright, wouldn't you?" he smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling slightly. Then he handed me a piece of paper that was just given to him by the man beside him and continued, "If you are ever in need of assistance yourself, do not hesitate to call me so that I might return to you the selfless kindness shown to me today. All you have to do is call me by this number and I will be sure to return the favor any way I can."

A little puzzled by the grand gesture, I accepted the piece of paper without much thought and feeling a little embarrassed by his praise I blushed, "It's nothing really, you don't have to..."

But before I could gather my wits again, he spoke again a bit more sharply, "Your name, miss?"

I jumped slightly and was startled back to reality as I replied hastily, "I-it's Ella Sir. Short for Ellira Ravenwood."

"Ellira? What a lovely name," he said, beaming at me warmly. "I hope we'll meet again soon my dear, I look forward to seeing you again."

"Oh, um sure..." I answered uncertainly as I watched the two of them slip into the car and drive away, wondering all the while just who he was and if what happened really _did_ happen or if I had unknowingly stepped into a dream.

If only I could have known then that this chance encounter would weave a tapestry of fate around my seemingly normal life and not only change it, but connect me with a special group of people who would greatly influence my life from that day onward. So, if I wasn't dreaming now, I was about to be...

* * *

I was walking in a daze down the street when I felt something wet on my cheek and looked up to see that the clear blue sky had suddenly been replaced with the inky blackness of a storm and it was starting to rain. Before long, the single drop that fell multiplied into a torrent of heavy sleet and I was forced to take cover under the awning of a nearby flower shop. I glanced down from the gray sky only to be met with the vibrant colors of all the beautiful flowers and whispering in awe, I knelt down and stroked the petals of one of the flowers with a serene expression flitting across my face.

"How beautiful..." I sighed happily, sweeping my gaze over the vast array of different flowers displayed before me.

Then out of the blue, a soft voice coming from just above me seemed to smile as they said, "These beautiful flowers are probably honored to be admired by such a lavish flower themselves." Curiously, I turned around and saw a very princely looking man dressed in a very fine blue uniform holding his umbrella over me and his lips lifted into a smile as he continued, "Sorry, that was probably a bit too forward coming from me. Did I startle you?"

More than his sudden appearance, I was stunned by how familiar he looked. '_Have I seen this man somewhere before? He looks oddly familiar, and those cloths remind me of something that Prince Edward would wear. But there's no way a real prince would be wandering around on his own like this, right?'_

I tilted my head ever so slightly and eyed his rather flamboyant attire before he noticed me staring and smiled softly again. "Aren't you getting wet kneeling there like that?"

After I straightened myself up again and smoothed out my dress, I returned his smile and chuckled, "I'll be fine as long as I stay under the awning. So I think the only one getting wet right now is you."

Meeting my smiling gaze, he replied, "I'm alright. Besides, I was drawn in by the whispering of these flowers saying that a lovely fairy has graced them with her glowing presence to ward off the gloom of this sudden storm," he then gently brushed my cheek with the tips of his fingers and smiled sweetly, "After all, a warm smile like yours could easily outshine the sun."

_'Huh? Fairy? Does he mean me...? Surely not...'_

Just as I started to blush shyly, I noticed several black cars speeding down the road and observed that they were splashing up huge amounts of rainwater that had gathered on the streets. And I quickly realized that the fourth car down the line was just about to hit another puddle right where we were standing! Alarmed, I dashed around the man before me in order to shield him from the inevitable spray of mud that was about to ruin his expensive looking cloths and before I could brace myself properly for it, the water hit me and I staggered backwards, completely drenched from the waist down.

As soon as the man beside me noticed what had happened, he pulled me aside and asked with concern, "Are you alright miss?"

My voice shook slightly despite my best efforts but I managed a small smile and laughed nervously, "I'm not hurt so don't worry about me. I'm just glad I noticed in time before _your_ cloths were..."

Clearly he could tell that I was not alright and like I always seemed to do when I was trying not to cry, I brushed the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and averted my gaze, trying to take deep breaths to calm my nerves. It wasn't so much about the fact that my dress was ruined, but because of the shock of everything that just happened.

A few moments later after the rest of the cars sped by, the one that splashed me pulled off to the side and a man with bright red hair and a gray vest stepped out and approached the two of us. And as soon as he was close enough, he turned to me and apologized, "Please forgive me, were you struck?"

As soon as he noticed the man beside me though, his eyes widened slightly, "Oh, what are you doing here?"

_'Hm? Do these two know each other?' _I wondered as I watched their exchange in silence, trying my best not to shiver as cold muddy water ran down my legs.

"Were you...on your way to the party just now?"

"Yes."

Looking rather troubled, he continued, "Then the one we almost hit with the mud was..."

Just then, I heard the sound of a car door opening and happened to glance over as yet another handsome man stepped out of the car dressed similarly to the man next to me in his blue uniform. Only, this man was wearing a sleek black coat with fur lining the cuffs and collar with a richly colored red silk shirt beneath it. His hair was a soft dusty brown with a pair of sharp green eyes that looked at us with great disinterest as he spoke to the person I now assumed to be his butler or something.

"What are you doing, stopping in a place like this?" he demanded sharply, looking directly into his butler's eyes with an air of obvious authority.

Bowing slightly, he replied, "Forgive me Sir but this young lady was struck with mud due to my careless driving and so I felt it was only right to..."

"Mud?"

Staring at me boldly, he was about to continue when once again, the person next to me caught his attention too and he said, "Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Luke, you deal with them."

_'Wow, do all rich people know each other?'_ I wondered idly as I watched them and ignored the fact that he didn't seem concerned by the fact that I was now visibly trembling from the wind chill that only doubled how cold I was. And without so much as another glance at us, he went back to his car and didn't even bother to ask if I was alright. I mean, even if his butler was the one driving it was technically his fault that I was now drenched so the least he could do was apologize for being in such a hurry and not being careful.

Noticing my expression, his butler apologized again a little dejectedly, "Er...I'm very sorry about what happened. Please accept our apologizes miss. You must allow us to replace your damaged cloths. Just send us the bill once you've bought something to replace them."

As he said this, he held out a card to me and not knowing what else to say to that, I took it and was about to politely turn him down and tell him it was no big deal when his master called him over impatiently and he reluctantly hurried off after giving me one last bow.

Just then, the person beside me laughed kindly and snickered, "He just never changes..." and turning his attention back to me he smiled and then he too offered me something, his handkerchief so that I could try and dab off some of the mud from my cloths.

I didn't want to ruin his handkerchief but I also didn't want to appear rude so I hesitantly accepted it and nodded, "Thank you very much."

While I was carefully dabbing off the mud, he looked at me sadly and said, "I am so sorry. Because of me your lovely dress was ruined."

I shook my head, "No, its not your fault. Accidents happen so please don't worry about it too much."

Looking rather startled by my carefree smile, he stared openly at my face. In fact, he was looking at me rather seriously and before I knew it, he was kneeling before me and after lightly kissing the back of my hand that wasn't occupied by the handkerchief, he asked me in the most charming voice I've ever heard, "Won't you accompany me on a date?"

I gaped at him and blushed deeply. _'Wait, what...? A date?! W-with me?' _

And that's how I found myself stepping into a world only dreamed of, where a chance encounter blooms into something magical and the prince meets his princess in the most unlikely of places. Only now, I would find myself becoming a part of that world and never going back to the life I once knew. Because there, at the party we were about to embark on our journey to reach is where I would discover the man of my dreams step out of his fairytale world to take me far away from mine and into his...


	2. The Night of the Ball

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Be My Princess or anything from Voltage Inc.; this is purely fan-made!

**Note: **Wow, going through just the prologue in the game and translating it into story form took a lot of work! But now here we are at the first chapter and while I'm going to try and add a bit of everything from each prince's story, I haven't decided who 'prince charming' should be for my OC. So until I figure that out, I'll continue to replay the game until I decide, although I may go with either Wilfred, Joshua, Roberto, or Keith and probably not Glen or Edward. Don't get me wrong, I love them both but I would prefer to use one of the other four.

~Chapter 1: The Night of the Ball~

I was struck speechless by the grandeur of it all as I tentatively stepped out of the hired car that brought me here and looked up at the castle in awe. And the moment the gates opened for me and I saw the sun creating a golden halo around the castle of Noble Michel, I couldn't help but smile despite my nervousness. This was something I used to fantasize about like I'm sure many other girls have but now that it was a reality, I only hoped this moment would last long enough to become engraved on my heart forever.

But really, I never expected my humble wish to suddenly come true when that handsome man with the silver hair and violet eyes invited me as an apology for ruining my dress. It was a grand gesture to be sure, and I should have expected it since he was obviously a man of nobility that would not take no for an answer when it came to repaying debts like that. All I did was cover for him when the mud was kicked up. Still, he professed that if I hadn't done so, he would have been forced to return home for a proper change of clothes and that would have cost him valuable time so all I could do was nod when he asked and find myself getting the royal treatment as his servants prepared me for the party...

Even after I tried to explain that I was only an exchange student and didn't have anything appropriate to wear, he simply smiled sweetly and called to his own butler, Louis, and a bunch of others who seemed to have come out of nowhere that started fussing over me until I was properly dressed and my hair and makeup were done to perfection. Honestly, it all happened so fast that by the time I managed to comprehend what just happened to me, I was already sitting in the car. I didn't even have time to look at myself in the mirror to see what sort of miracle they managed to pull to get someone as plain as me to look half as decent as I'm sure the rest of the lady's at the party were going to be.

Once I stepped inside the castle itself, I expected to see my mysterious date waiting for me but I was surprised to see he was nowhere in sight. _'Hmm, I wonder if something could have happened. Should I wait for him or...?'_

Deciding that it would probably be best to go inside instead of standing awkwardly in the entrance, I was about to enter the ballroom when the door swung open without warning and I was nearly knocked over as I staggered a bit while getting out of the way since I still wasn't used to wearing high heels like this.

"...Excuse me," I heard someone say and I looked up to see a regal face looking down on me. His attire was pure white with gold trimming to match his silky blonde hair; a red sash adorned with an assortment of metals-similar to the last two noblemen I met before, including my date-and piercing blue eyes like a pure cloudless sky.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have been standing so close to the doorway like that," I bowed my head respectfully and looked back up when he said brusquely-

"I haven't seen you at one of these parties before."

_'Oh wow, he's so handsome! And he's dressed just like the man who invited me here. Could these be formal clothing from some another country?'_

"...it's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Ellira Ravenwood."

"A pleasure," he said curtly and I was a bit taken aback when he continued simply.

"Is this your first time here?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes it is."

_'I wonder how he knew that though. Do I really stand out that much? But then again...I did still have _that_ to worry about so could it be that he noticed...?' _As I continued to worry about this, I saw him smile for just a brief moment when a voice called out from behind us.

"Well, isn't this a surprise, finding you actually talking to a real live woman..." I turned when I head those words and saw another man standing right behind us with a bright smiling dancing on his lips as he continued playfully, "...won't you introduce me?"

Now this one had almost the exact opposite demeanor as opposed to the man with the blonde hair; his eyes and hair were a soft dusty brown and he was wearing a red uniform with a black collared shirt beneath along with-of course-another sash although his was white rather than red or

In response, the man whom I had only just met replied, "I'm hardly in a position to be giving introductions. Excuse me..." and that was all he said before returning to the ballroom and leaving me alone again.

"No surprise to find that he's as cold as ever...But are you not going in?" my new companion asked me and I hurriedly stepped to the side so as not to get in his way either like I had with the first.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to stand in your way."

Then, the man easily took my hand in his.

"You needn't worry about anything like that, my dear."

I blinked. _'My dear...? Me?'_

"Meeting you here like this must be some sort of fate. Won't you allow me to escort you into the party?" He peered into my eyes as he spoke, his tone slightly teasing.

_'It might be a bit too embarrassing even for me to go in by myself...maybe I should let him escort me. What harm is there in something as simple as that?'_

"I would be honored, sir. Thank you very much." and then while walking easily beside him, I took my first step beyond the looking glass and into a world unlike any I had ever known before to be real.

* * *

As soon as I stepped across the threshold, I started to feel more and more intimidated by the grace and poise of those around me that I could feel the magic fading away little by little as the night wore on. With a sigh, I reached out for a glass of sparkling cider-since I wasn't really partial to alcohol in the least-and at the same time, someone else started to reach for the same glass and our hands met.

Glancing at me he said, "...Sorry."

"Oh no...Please excuse me," I replied, pulling my hand away so that he could take it.

The man hardly seemed to notice me as he lifted the glass from the table and drained it dry. But when he noticed that this was only cider, he glided over to the side where the wine was and drained those glasses in a similar manner. _'Whoa...that's pretty impressive,' _I thought as I watched him curiously.

Unlike the others I had met so far, his hair was a dark shade of royal purple to match his dark eyes. And perhaps he noticed me staring, but the man finally did acknowledge my existence and turned.

"What? Have you never seen anyone drink before?"

"Err, no...I..." I tried to say when I found myself looking at him more closely and for the fifth time today alone, I met someone dressed the exact same way as the others, in uniform, with a sash across their torsos decorated in metals. And like the one I met in the doorway, he was wearing white but with silver trimming and a blue sash instead of red. _'What is it with today? I keep meeting all of these people and I feel as though I've seen them somewhere before. But how...? It's not like I would ever know anyone that classy...'_

Just then, another man's voice interrupted us. "What nice manners. Instead of saying hello, you're here for the alcohol and women." Glancing at the final man I would meet that fateful evening-although this one was clearly a much young man unlike the others-I saw a pair of reddish brown eyes looking at us from behind long locks of similarly reddish hair dressed in a black uniform with golden tracery and a red sash. And once he came into the picture, by then I was sure that this was when men here usually wore to these sorts of lavish parties.

Coming back to my senses, I heard the man who had been drinking a moment ago say in a rather disgruntled tone, "What do you mean by that?"

Smiling, the other shrugged, "Nothing in particular."

With a sigh he relented, "I don't know how you put up with being put up on parade like this..."

"We don't have much choice do we? It's part of our civil duty and all that."

"So come, let's be going."

The drinker nodded reluctantly at those words and responded, "...I know...Goodbye."

And with one last glance at me, he fell in line with the other man. Then they were both gone. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen every single one of these men before somewhere. Even if it wasn't possible that I knew them personally or anything, they must be important figures or something otherwise I would feel this annoying sense of deja vu...

The instant I thought this, a voice filled the entire room and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! Please turn your eyes now to the balcony atop the spiral staircase!" I followed the gaze of the rest of the crowd as the voice continued over the speakers, "The eyes of the world are all upon them; the future Kings of the six greatest Kingdoms on Earth!"

_'Wait...what?'_

Then, like a beacon from the heavens, the spotlights snapped on and illuminated the glorious figures of six men. And the moment I saw them, it took everything I had not to cry out in shock. Because every single one of them...was one of the six men I had encountered within just the last twenty four hours.

After that, the announcer listed them off one by one:

"First is Charles own Prince Edward!"

_'H-he's the one who invited me here! But that means, he really was Prince Edward after all?!'_

"Prince Wilfred of Philip!"

_'Wah! He's the one I met in the doorway...'_

"Prince Keith of Liberty!"

_'That's the man whose car splashed me with mud, no wonder he was such a holier-than-thou sort of person when we met.'_

"Prince Roberto of Altaria!"

_'Oh my gosh, he's the man who escorted me inside after I bumped into Prince Wilfred...but that means I was escorted by a real prince?!'_

"Prince Joshua of Dres Van!"

_'Isn't that the one who drained all those wine glasses before? That's a shock...'_

Finally, the last prince was introduced and followed the others in precession down the steps as the announcer concluded with, "And prince Glen of Oriens!"

_'No way...he's a prince too?!'_

The moment everyone was properly introduced, a roar of applause filled the room, though to me it felt like the entire world had gone still and silent. My wish...was only to be able to see for myself the wonders that this enchanted place held but I never expected to find myself caught up in its spell. This place was meant for people such as them; these proud men that like diamonds sparkled with unparalleled grace and beauty but despite their outward appearances were strong enough to carry the weight of an entire country squarely on their shoulders and not break as mere glass would have under the weight of it all. While I-who might be able to pass of as a crystal right now-was only glass. And if I stayed there much longer, I might break the spell and go back to the way I was before, unable to shine on my own the way they all did.

* * *

After that it came time for the receiving line, but I was unable to approach the princes. Even so, I very much wanted to thank Prince Edward for everything he had done for me since we met. And so with that, another wish bloomed in my heart but unlike the first it never did end up coming true. I couldn't breach the space growing between us as I lost myself in a sea of women gushing over them and pleading for a chance to dance with one of them...

Just then, someone shoved past me and sent me flying right into another stranger who snapped harshly, "Watch it!"

_'Oh!'_

Flung forward, I tumbled to the ground, my hands breaking my fall. And once more, a deafening silence surrounded me as my face grew hot and I started when I realized something was wrong. My eyes widened and I slapped a hand over my left eye before anyone could see when I realized my contact lens had fallen out.

_'Oh no! It fell out! Now what am I supposed to do? If I try to leave without finding it I...'_

My fight or flight instinct was just about to kick in when a gentle voice from above me asked, "Are you alright?"

A hand appeared before me, together with that voice. _'Wait, this voice is...'_

Forgetting myself as I followed the sound of that voice, I lowered my hand without thinking and looked up to see that it was Prince Edward who was offering his hand to me and smiling sweetly. His gaze didn't waver in the slightest as he helped me back to my feet and I smiled weakly back at him.

"Thank you..." then, a bit nervously, I continued, "So you...really were a Prince after all. I should have known." I half joked to cover up the fact that my heart was still flitting as rapidly as a hummingbird's right about then, making my voice quiver slightly from a bad case of nerves. But then, more seriously I continued, "Please forgive all the thoughtless things I said..."

His eyes glimmered rather sadly upon hearing those words, "No. I am at fault for bringing you to a place like this without even giving you my name. I am the one who should be sorry." Then, appraising me, he smiled and commented, "I wasn't sure how a last minute outfit would look but...you look divine. As I should expect from my fairy princess."

I blushed deeply but managed a bright smile as I said, "That's not...Oh, but I do thank you for lending me this beautiful dress."

"A dress only exists to be worn by a woman. I am sure that dress is glad that it could adorn someone as beautiful as yourself." Continuing to smile, Edward continued softly, "But if you aren't careful, you may find yourself the target of jealousy with a rare beauty such as yours. I'm sure the lovely flowers decorating the ballroom all wish they were quite as captivating as the bloom on your cheeks..."

Before I could say anything else, another voice joined in and commented, "I never would have expected you to know the lady Prince Edward." It was Prince Roberto, the man who escorted me into the ballroom before. His eyes flashed for a moment before he smiled too and said to me, "Thank you for joining me before."

I shook my head, "No, thank you for escorting me!"

"What's this? You know Prince Roberto?" Edward asked me quizzically.

"I wouldn't say I know him...We only just met at the entrance..."

"That's right. You must know her better than I, don't you, Prince Edward?"

Prince Edward smiled softly, "I'm afraid I only just met her today myself. But it really is thanks to Prince Keith that I could invite her here this evening."

Then Prince Keith, who had been standing nearby, cut into the conversation. "Thanks to me? How so?"

"Yes, that's right. Don't you remember the woman whose cloths were ruined by your car kicking up mud this afternoon?"

Prince Keith cocked his head to the side, and then looked at my face. "Oh...you're the one from the street. But why are you here? And why do you look like...that?"

_'Like that...? What is he talking about? Does he mean my dress? I guess he must, given the fact that I've never worn anything quite like this before in my entire life.'_

In response though I answered, "Prince Edward kindly invited me here to apologize for the damage to my clothes."

"He invited you? Hmm...Well, he did always like to dabble with commoners. Especially oddballs like you..." He glanced at me before briskly walking away without so much as another word to either of us.

I frowned, _'Who does he think he is calling me an oddball! Geez! Does his arrogance know no bounds!?'_

After that I felt a new pair of eyes on me and I turned to see Prince Wilfred examining my face. But he simply chuckled softly and walked away, although at least his laughter seemed good natured and genuine without any animosity.

At that moment, Prince Roberto spoke up again with his usual smile as he said, "Prince Keith is quite worked up. I wonder if he was trying to catch your eye?"

_'As if calling me an oddball would work even if he was...which I highly doubt'_

With that, Edward spoke again, "Prince Roberto, you know that Prince Keith would be angry if he heard you say something like that."

Prince Roberto shrugged and laughed, "That is fun in its own way. Too. But I'd rather talk to you more...How about it?" he cracked a smile at me and I felt my heart skip a beat. Then a low voice interrupted us.

"Forgive me but tonight's party is meant for the princes to mingle. Don't you think you ought to refrain from such private matters?" The owner of the voice was Prince Joshua and for a moment, his eyes lingered on me before returning to the other princes as if I was no one of special note.

_'There are a lot of people here after all; I shouldn't expect him to remember me from just that...'_

"I guess I must apologize for disrupting the evening," Edward said, lowering his gaze slightly in shame, "But I was the one who invited the lady, so could you at least excuse me?"

With a sigh, Prince Joshua turned his back and said, "If you're going to go that far, then I don't particularly care what you do. But I would like you to avoid causing anymore disruptions." When he was done speaking, he returned to the dance floor and disappeared into the crowd and I heard someone clucking nearby.

"What a bore..." and it turned out to be Prince Glen speaking. "Oh, excuse me. I've always thought that such gatherings as this are quite tedious...But I should not be airing such private feelings in public. If you'll excuse me..." then he too, melded seamlessly into the crowd.

As I watch him go, Prince Edward laughed softly. "He never changes. Good little Prince Glen."

"But its ok if he's a bit prickly. It's quite cute on him." Roberto added with a grin.

Just then, both of their butlers called out to them and like the rest of the princes, returned to the festivities. Although out of all the other princes, at least they told me to have a good time and were kind enough to say goodbye before they left. I gave them a small bow as they left before turning around and sighing deeply. As if in time with my sigh, music began to swell as couples quickly formed to accompany it, which also included a long line of ladies waiting eagerly for a chance to pair up with one of the six princes.

I smiled a bit sadly at the thought until I chided myself for being too selfish and thought, '_I was lucky enough to speak with them let alone be escorted by one of them in person. I shouldn't push my luck any more than that.' _With that in mind, I thought I would make my way to the food table when-

"...Might I have this dance?"


	3. Turning Back Into A Pumpkin

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Be My Princess or anything from Voltage Inc, this is purely fan-made!

**Note: **Again, sorry the update is so short but I couldn't come up with anything else to write after a certain point so I left it at that. Besides, I was also trying to include a brief meeting alone with each of the princes aside from the one Ellira is going to dance with but only managed to do Glenn and Wilfred this time around. So I guess I'll have to try and do Keith, Joshua, Roberto, and Edward in the next chapter since I'm still deciding on which one will be her true love in the end. But then again, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun and maybe introduce a bit of rivalry between the princes? That could be interesting. Anyway, I'd love to hear some idea's for where I should go with this so please pm me or include it in your reviews! And please enjoy!

~Chapter 2: Turning Back Into A Pumpkin~

_(Beautiful Girl by Broken Iris)_

_Woke today, another memory passes of you_

_Shades of gray from those three broken words_

_That unfold the truth but..._

_I'll never forget those eyes, that beautiful smile._

_I still remember the way you said "good-bye"_

_No matter how hard I try I can't forget about_

_Beautiful Girl_

_On top of the world_

_Don't fall down_

_Because an angel_

_Should never touch ground_

_Last embrace, forcing you away before it's too late_

_I end this day in a most bitter way_

_A regretful state but..._

_I'll never forget those eyes, that beautiful smile._

_I still remember the way you said "good-bye"_

_No matter how hard I try I can't forget about_

_Beautiful Girl_

_On top of the world_

_Don't fall down_

_Because an angel_

_Should never touch ground_

_Here I lay, I drift away, you come in and lay beside me_

_It's got to be a memory that feels so real but just beyond me_

_Mesmerized, in you I find what I had was unrealized but_

_Emptiness settles in as I awake_

_Beautiful Girl_

_On top of the world_

_Don't fall down_

_Because an angel_

_Should never touch ground_

* * *

I turned in surprise to meet the kind gaze of Prince Wilfred as he offered his hand and asked me to dance. And by then, I had long forgotten about the incident from earlier and was blissfully unaware of the curious stares following after me since the other princes departed. But now I certainly felt the heated gaze of the other ladies who were beside themselves with jealousy that one of the princes would ask me of all people to join them in a dance. Then again, realistically they would most likely feel that way towards _any _girl who danced with any one of the princes here today.

However, I didn't really know how to dance very well and honestly had not since my prom night senior year of high school. Or perhaps that one time I learned how to waltz with my father when I was getting ready for prom. That being said, I was unsure of whether to accept his hand or not when Prince Wilfred smiled encouragingly and I couldn't help but smile in return as he gently took my hand and led me to the dance floor.

"Um," I began unsurely once we made it to an open area where we would have enough room, "To be honest, I sincerely hope I still remember _how_ to dance. It's been such a long time...And I would hate to..."

"It's alright," Prince Wilfred said softly, "I'll lead you, so you need only be yourself and follow as best you can."

_'Oh...'_ I blushed as the music started and I found myself gliding effortlessly in step with Prince Wilfred thanks to his calm assuring guidance.

I tried to maintain a calm appearance as the dance wore on but my heart was all aflutter as our bodies drew closer and I felt his warmth. It was like no one else was there but the two of us and for the first time since arriving, my mind was at ease and I was actually enjoying myself now. Thanks to him, I no longer felt as lost as I did before and that alone was something magical. This was the dream of any young girl to find her hands entwined in the caring hands of a handsome prince and drawn in by their eyes as if falling under some kind of a magical spell.

"If you don't mind my asking," Wilfred whispered in my ear while we were beginning to slow to a halt when the song was about ready to end, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Hmm? I'm fine. Why do I ask?" I asked airily, feeling rather breathless from just keeping in step with him for such a long time.

His eyes softened and lightly touching my cheek just below the eye with the tips of his slender fingers, Prince Wilfred continued, "I ask because you looked a bit flushed when we met in the hallway. And after that I was feeling concerned about you. And how about your vision? Has it been blurry at all this evening?"

My eyes widened when I realized I forgot all about losing my contact lens in all the excitement and since there was no point hiding the truth now, I replied sheepishly, "So you noticed that too? Well, who wouldn't be nervous coming to such a grand place like this for the first time? And I feel just fine now so thank you for your concern; as for my vision..." I averted my gaze slightly and laughed, "...it's kind of embarrassing, but I don't actually have to wear contacts because there's nothing wrong with my eyesight. I can see just fine. It's just that I don't like people staring at me so I only wear them to hide that my eyes are two completely different colors..."

"I see. For a moment I thought you were hiding your eye color on purpose in order to keep your identity secret or something like that, but, from looking more closely, anyone could see that the color pigment in the other eye isn't fake," then Prince Wilfred nodded as if to confirm his own observation and continued, "Why hide it though?"

"I used to be made fun of growing up so my mom bought me my first color contacts when I was about nine or ten years old," I smiled lightly, finding myself trusting Prince Wilfred enough to tell him all this, figuring we'd never see each other again anyway so it wouldn't hurt for him to know this about me since there was no point hiding it now.

"Is that so? That must have been hard on you."

I shook my head and smiled, "Not really. I was more embarrassed by the teasing than hurt by it. It's called Heterochromica iridum, a condition where the color pigment inside of the eye mutates either because of an accident or as a hereditary trait like it is for me. In my family it always skips a generation but my grandmother has it too; though I'm the first person in my family to ever have eyes that are two completely different colors. My grandmother's were green with a bit of hazel speckled around the iris of her right eye and there were a few flecks of brown in her left eye too. But since mine are blue and green, well...people tend to stare so I guess I never got out of the habit of wearing contacts all the time especially since coming here to Charles."

"Ah, that makes sense," Prince Wilfred said calmly as he withdrew his hand from my cheek, "But it's a shame, I think they're rather fascinating myself."

"Most people think I'm a weirdo though, I can even name one in this room," I joked, thinking back on Prince Keith calling me an oddball before. '_I must have forgotten to look for it after that and all the princes must have seen that my eyes are...' _my thoughts trailed off though when heat came rushing to my cheeks as it dawned on me, '_Wait, if they saw it then who knows who else...! I better go home after this then so I don't cause another scene...'_

Curtsying once the song's final notes faded, I concluded hastily, "Thank you very much for this dance Prince Wilfred, I had a lot of fun."

"As did I speaking with you." Then, giving me a graceful bow in return, Prince Wilfred let go of my hand and walked away.

* * *

With a sigh of relief, I all but ran from the ballroom in my hurry to go home before anything else happened. However, as I entered the hallway I was drawn to a large stain-glass window at the very end and I quietly began approaching it. I had always loved stain-glass patterns in general but to see the real thing was breathtaking. And even though it was night time, the moon and the city lights shone through the glass and painted the floor with a dozen different shades and hues.

_'I wonder if it would be alright to take a picture of this on my phone. But then, this is considered a sacred place so maybe I shouldn't...' _but the more I looked at it, the more I wanted to at least immortalize this moment with something tangible so that I would always have a way to remember my time spent here in this dreamlike place that I would likely never set foot inside of ever again once the clock struck twelve and the spell which ushered me here faded away.

Making up my mind, I left for the dressing room and changed into my old clothes and brought my miniature sketchbook that I took everywhere with me. And with that in hand, I made my way back to the window and did my best to draw as many details as I could in my rough sketch so that I could draw it again later. I jotted notes of what all the colors were and the positions of the two figures decorating it, one was a princess, and the other was-

"Well well, aren't you the little artist?" Prince Glenn chuckled as he looked over my shoulder and saw what I was doing.

Startled, I nearly jumped out of my skin and exclaimed, "Ah! Don't scare me like that!"

Taken aback, Prince Glenn retorted, "Geez. You don't have to shout like that you know. And I only came over to see what you were doing, and here I find you standing there like an idiot doodling random pictures."

"I'm not doodling!" I grumbled, "I'm making a sketch so I can draw another picture of this once I get home. After all, I will probably never see this place again after tonight other than from the outside."

"Why?" Prince Glenn asked, looking pretty shocked by what I just said.

I was about to answer when I thought better of it and smiled, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I'm just glad I was able to see the inside of this place at least once. And this is part of what I was hoping to see," turning back to face the window, I said serenely, "My mother used to say that these windows were made to capture the colors of heaven and usher hope and beauty into a world that had none when the first ones were made back in the dark ages. Ever since then I wanted to see a real one in a castle just like this."

"It's just a window, and besides I'm sure that there are churches that still have them too so it's nothing to get so worked up about," Prince Glenn shrugged, obviously not seeing the same romance in them that I held so dear. "At any rate, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Curious, I tilted my head and asked, "What is it?"

"Well, you seemed to be acquainted with Prince Edward so I was just curious about who you were..." he began when it looked like he suddenly remembered something and said with a grin, "Well anyway, I have to go now so I suppose we can talk later if you're still here doodling. See ya."

And with that, Prince Glenn just turned around and walked off. But not before I suddenly called, "It's called drawing, not doodling!"

"Yeah yeah," Prince Glenn replied, waving his hand dismissively.

After that, I found myself standing alone in the hall feeling pretty stupid for _quote 'standing there like an idiot,'_ so with my cheeks burning with embarrassment I started to leave the castle when I saw a group of reporters lying in wait at the entrance. And knowing me, I'd never be able to escape them once they caught sight of me so I retreated back to the castle hoping I could slip out of the back door or something if I was lucky.

But when I left, I had no idea of the tragedy that was awaiting me.

* * *

Thankfully by some miracle I managed to slip away and was on my way home when I heard a racket coming from the direction of the apartments. And for some reason, a sense of dread filled me as soon as I saw the red glow coming from that direction and ran as fast as I could to see what was happening. The moment I did however I saw my apartment engulfed in fire and before I could even begin to process what I was seeing, someone shoved past me and snapped, "Watch it!"

However, I couldn't muster the energy to apologize or anything. In fact, suddenly my own body seemed to be on fire as well and with a startled gasp I crumpled to the ground. My world was going dark as everything I had went up in flames. So now all I had left were the cloths on my back, the contents of the bag I brought with me, and a small sketchbook that held the memory of a night I would not soon forget that granted my innocent wish of seeing the inside of a real castle, only to have a cruel reality thrust before my eyes.


End file.
